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New iPhone 5 rumors, release date, photos, and more

The introduction of a new iPhone every year is a given, but the details of what that device will look like and the new features it'll bring are rarely so straightforward. So far this year, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal have come out strongly in support of the idea that we'll see a new 4-inch (or even larger) form factor, plus there's all the usual SoC speculation, invited by the introduction of the 2012 iPad and its upgraded chip. Follow along here as we work to disentangle the useful information from the thickets of rumor surrounding Apple's next flagship phone.

  • Jun 7, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Latest iPhone leak video claims to show redesigned back cover

    iphone back cover_rumor
    iphone back cover_rumor

    Still, the design on show looks to match the leaked pictures we saw of the next iPhone's backplate recently, including the significantly smaller dock connector at the bottom, which is flanked by the repositioned audio jack. It's difficult to consider any of these pieces of circumstantial evidence authoritative yet, but they do seem to be painting an increasingly clearer picture of where the next iPhone is heading.

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  • Adi Robertson

    May 31, 2012

    Adi Robertson

    Taller new iPhone screen allegedly shown in leaked video

    Another piece of information about the new iPhone has leaked, apparently backing up rumors that it will be taller than the iPhone 4S. In a short video, Japanese site Macotakara shows off a 10.33-cm (4.07-inch) screen and a front panel that's quite a bit longer than the current-gen phone it's placed against. It's otherwise similar in shape, with the same width but a slightly lower Home button. The panel looks much like the one 9to5 Mac said it obtained earlier, including a FaceTime camera that's been moved above the earpiece. Nothing in the video is too surprising, but since there's no backplate we can't check it against some of the details in other leaks, and individual phone parts can't really constitute definitive proof. If Apple does end up announcing a 4-inch iPhone, we'll probably have to resign ourselves to the fact that sprawling screens are here to stay.

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  • T.C. Sottek

    May 29, 2012

    T.C. Sottek

    Alleged new iPhone backplate photos appear, show elongated form and smaller connector port

    next iphone backplate 9to5mac
    next iphone backplate 9to5mac

    Two separate iPhone part suppliers have leaked nearly identical-looking versions of what appears to be a backplate for Apple's next iPhone, both of which support rumors of the device's lengthened body and redesigned dock connector. Parts supplier iFixyouri has provided 9to5Mac with what appears to be a black backplate for a new iPhone, showing the phone's form factor and a smaller dock connector port, and extra room at the bottom of the shell which the supplier says will be used by Apple for enhanced speakers. 9to5 Mac notes that iFixyouri is the same group that was the first to report that the iPad 2 would be offered in white.

    Additionally, as Engadget reports, parts supplier uBreakiFix has provided similar photos of a white iPhone shell, which share identical features to iFixyouri's photos, except for styling on the bottom edge of the case (the white model is perforated, while the black model's audio ports are slatted). The backplate's length seems to support earlier rumors that a new iPhone will come with a 3.95-inch screen at a wider resolution of 1136 x 640. This could, of course, all be some elaborate ruse (or just a prototype) — but the rumors are looking more likely.

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  • May 22, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Next-gen iPhone rumored to have 1136 x 640 resolution, redesigned dock connector

    iPhone dock connector stock
    iPhone dock connector stock

    Following a flurry of reports earlier this month of Apple ordering up new 4-inch displays for its next iPhone, 9to5 Mac is today joining the rumor mill with affirmation that Apple is indeed in the process of testing a new model with a larger and higher-resolution display. Citing an iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2 that are presently in the pre-EVT (Engineering Verification Test) stage of internal testing, the site claims both variants will be equipped with a 3.95-inch screen spanning a more elongated 1136 x 640 resolution. Though this would break the 3:2 aspect ratio that has been a constant in Apple's smartphone since its very beginning, there's also word that an updated version of iOS 6 is also being worked on, adding a fifth row of icons to the homescreen and extended interfaces within apps to let you see more content. In essence, this is exactly what our forum member modilwar suggested Apple should do: keep the screen the same width and just layer on a few more rows of pixels (176 extra lines, if 9to5 Mac's information is accurate).

    A second note from the informants suggests that the iPhone dock connector will be revised, to a much narrower design that's "between the size of a Micro-USB and Mini-USB connector." Considering the vast ecosystem of third-party hardware that this port connects the iPhone to, this would be a very significant change for Apple, but the company sounds determined to go through with it. 9to5 Mac goes on to say that this new dock connector will eventually make its way to all iOS devices. In any case, given what we've heard from the likes of Bloomberg and Reuters, and the supposed pre-EVT stage these current testing units are at, the actual release of the next iPhone seems a fair few months away. Plenty of time for plans (and perhaps even designs) to change.

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  • May 18, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Steve Jobs was 'closely' involved in upcoming iPhone redesign, says Bloomberg

    iphone stock
    iphone stock

    The next iPhone will have a larger screen than the 3.5-inch form factor that has characterized Apple's smartphone through all five of its iterations so far — that's what The Wall Street Journal told us two days ago, Reuters affirmed yesterday, and Bloomberg is reiterating today. An extra bit of information coming out of Bloomberg, however, is that Apple's former CEO, Steve Jobs, "had worked closely on the redesigned phone before his death in October."

    Back in 2010, Jobs famously criticized the move to larger form factors, opining that "no one's going to buy" a big phone, though the overwhelming trend since then — particularly in Apple's home market of the United States — has been toward ever-larger devices. Today's revelation would suggest that Apple's reconsideration of the iPhone's size wasn't a post-Jobs epiphany and that the company's longtime leader had himself seen the value in enlarging the handset to better compete in an evolving smartphone market.

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  • May 17, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    4-inch iPhone rumors reaffirmed by Reuters sources

    apple iphone stock logo
    apple iphone stock logo

    Reuters has added the weight of its own sources to yesterday's Wall Street Journal report that Apple is ordering up larger displays for its next-generation iPhone. Whereas the WSJ had word of a new display measuring "at least" 4 inches, one of Reuters' insiders states that it will be exactly a 4-inch screen. Otherwise, there's agreement between the two news outlets in terms of the suppliers and timing, with both identifying South Korean and Japanese display makers as getting the orders in from Apple for production to begin in June. Reuters goes on to speculate that Apple may be ready to begin manufacturing the next iPhone in August, provided it adheres to its usual cadence.

    Given the typical ramp-up times required to reach sufficient output to satisfy demand, this seems to push the launch time for Apple's next iPhone into September or even later. It seems that Apple may be about to resume its previous rhythm of releasing a new iPhone once annually, having introduced the iPhone 4S to the market in October of last year.

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  • May 16, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Next iPhone will have bigger screen, measuring 'at least' 4 inches, reports WSJ

    iPhone 4S stock
    iPhone 4S stock

    The Wall Street Journal is this morning reporting word from Apple's suppliers that the iPhone maker has placed orders for new iPhone displays, which measure "at least 4 inches diagonally." Production is said to be commencing next month, with the WSJ identifying LG Display, Sharp, and Japan Display Inc. as the three major panel suppliers that Apple is contracting.

    A move up from the iPhone's persistent 3.5-inch form factor has started to feel overdue in the current climate of 4.7- and 4.8-inch flagship Android smartphones, so this may finally be a sign of the Cupertino company relenting and giving in to popular demand.

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  • Dante D'Orazio

    Apr 9, 2012

    Dante D'Orazio

    New iPod touch hardware and A5X-equipped iPhone in the works, according to rumors

    iPod touch
    iPod touch

    9 to 5 Mac has found references to an "iPod5,1" in an internal iOS 5.1 build, suggesting that the current iPod touch (known as iPod4,1) will see some changes. Apple last refreshed the portable music player in September 2010 — the iPod touch announced at iPhone 4S keynote in October 2011 was the same as its predecessor save for a lower price point and a white color. There aren't any specifics, but it seems likely that Apple will update the iPod touch's processor from its current A4 chip to help it handle games designed for the newest iPhone, and maybe there's a hardware redesign in the works, too. 9 to 5 Mac's sources also report that Apple is internally testing an iPhone with 1GB of RAM and a modified version of the new iPad's A5X processor. The internal model is said to be a prototype unit that shares the same casing as the iPhone 4S, though it's reported that the final model will see a long-awaited hardware redesign.

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  • Joshua Topolsky

    Apr 22, 2011

    Joshua Topolsky

    Is this what the iPhone 5 will look like? (updated)

    There's no shortage of rumors swirling about the iPhone 5 right now, but we've got some enlightening information (and an image) that might help paint a better picture of what Apple's next play in the mobile market could be. While the current crop of chatter on the internet suggests the iPhone 5 will be little more than a spec bump to the iPhone 4, that's not the story we've been hearing at all. In fact, the device could look something a little more like the image above -- an image which is our rendering based on information from a variety of sources.

    Note: Yes, folks, that's our mockup -- not a real device.

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